This invention is related to application Ser. No. 860,922, filed May 8, 1986, by A. K. Saha titled "Removing Strontium Ions From Aqueous Solutions," and application Ser. No. 857,677, filed Apr. 30, 1986, by A. K. Saha, entitled "Removing Strontium And/Or Cesium Ions From Solutions Containing Chemical Hardness."
Radioactive and toxic waste materials are often stored in 55 gallon drums which are placed in underground trenches. While these trenches are typically lines with clay, it has been found that water leaking into the trenches can carry radioactive and toxic materials through the clay barrier into the surrounding earth, contaminating water supplies and creating an environmental hazard. This can occur because the drums corrode, rust, or otherwise break or deteriorate, permitting the ground water to contact their contents. Even when the waste material is encapsulated within cement, the ground water can eventually leach radioactive or toxic materials from the cement. This is a particularly difficult problem to deal with because the ground water can contain organic materials which can foul or plug binders placed within the drums for the purpose of preventing radioactive or toxic materials from leaching out.